The temporary measure of indenturing was continued until the sisters moved to a larger building in 1826, when they began keeping children until completion of basic education.Īt this time, almshouses provided no education and were an unfavorable environment for a growing children. This allowed the sisters to give priority to younger children who would otherwise die on the streets or end up in an almshouse. In 1820, the sisters gained permission to coordinate with families willing to provide basic necessities including education to the young children in return for indentured servitude, a common practice at the time. The sisters “ slept on mattresses on the floor and lived on a diet of soup, potatoes and carrot coffee ” ( de Lourdes Walsh, 1960). By 1819, they had raised money and managed space to support twenty eight children. 1 The sisters immediately began seeking a new facility with their yearly stipend of $36.00 and the meager support of an upstart Catholic benevolent society. The work of the SCNY in education, health care, and other social services for all faiths and races continues today.Īfter a seven day journey from Emmitsburg, three sisters opened the first Catholic orphanage in New York to five children in a dilapidated Revolutionary War structure known in the neighborhood as The Dead House. As Catholic immigrants arrived in poverty during the 19th century, the sisters became known for accepting newborns at the doorsteps of the convent. Their allegiance to local Catholics in the city came in conflict with their obedience to their superiors in Emmitsburg, eventually leading to the establishment of a separate order recognized as the Sisters of Charity of New York (SCNY). Introduction: Some of the earliest sustained social service institutions and healthcare facilities in New York City were started by the sisters.
In 1817, the Sisters of Charity answered a similar call from New York City to staff the Roman Catholic Orphan Asylum. In 1814, Mother Seton sent three sisters to care for orphans after receiving a request from clergy in Philadelphia. Primarily, the sisters aimed to serve the poor by providing education, although the order was responsive to community needs in its services.
In: Antebellum Period, Child Welfare/Child Labor, Eras in Social Welfare History, Health/Nutrition, Organizations, Programs, Religious The Sisters of Charity of New York By: Michael Bargaīackground: In 1809, Elizabeth Ann Seton founded a Catholic religious congregation in Emmitsburg, MD that is today known as the Sisters of Charity.
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